Slide 1:

Investigation into why audiences watch melodramas including terminal cancer.

Slide 2:

• Focus film is TFIOS (Source 6) because this is a terminal cancer film which has had a lot

of media buzz this year. The film took £3.4 million on its opening weekend in the UK. (Source 14)

• As this caught lots of attention, I could gather primary research of my own on it due to

people seeing it this year.

Slide 3:

• My two other films are My Sister’s Keeper (Source 7) and The Last Song (Source 8)

• These show different ways of cancer being handled compared to TFIOS, these films

have a genre of family as the cancer in these two films is death with in family, not affect-ing romance.

• My Sister’s Keeper has a different interpretation as it is a family drama which targets a

niche audience, which I arguably think is older family members and cancer survivors.

Slide 4:

• I decided to research into the inclusion of terminal cancer in recent films. Being a deli-

cate subject it is surprising that this is a current trend in melodramas.

• Within the last 15 years, A Walk to Remember was the first terminal cancer film.

• All my chosen films for this research, including AWTR are novels which have been

adapted to films, this may be due to the success of the novels. TFIOS novel (Source 18) hit top 10 sold book in America in 2012 and was award by Entertainment Times as “1.

Fiction book of 2012” (Source 16)

• This shows there is a presold audience to these films and the film industry is aware of

this audience as all these novels are adapted into films within 5 years of them being writ-ten.

Slide 5:

• I decided to choose TLS to AWTR due to more reviews and responses, the film is only 8

years more recent.

• A review from Sight & Sound summarised the film which mentions how cancer is not

necessary depressing in the film.

• “impossible nobility,, walks on the beach, on-off love affairs, terminal illness (without the mess dying of cancer usually involves)” (Source 8)

• The use of ‘without the mess…’ shows typical representation of cancer in films, however this breaks the conventions as it is not the main topic and the father is not as open with

his illness.

• This film shows a different way of dealing with cancer and perhaps shows an approach

and understanding for the younger audience to provide support to family members and having support for yourself during these times.

Slide 6:

• To begin my investigation I handed out a questionnaire to 12 people regarding cancer films which they have seen but a statement relevant to my argument.

• “Feel good films are now including terminal illness and other similar situations to try and help people in real life” (Source 13)

• 11/12 answered yes, this was a good response / allowed me to see my opinion is not bi-

as.

• This showed me that young adults could arguably me the major audience to these films

as when distributing these questionnaires they had seen several of the movies.

• However, when handing out to my parents / family members they were unable to com-

plete as they had not seen any of the films listed. The film industry may be targeting the younger audience by using actors and actresses which are iconic to young people rather

than the older audience. Slide 7:

• After picking up on the idea that these films today are targeted at the younger audience, I created another questionnaire using my parents help to ask the younger audience again

if they would watch this film including cancer.

• “Family of four discover that the father has cancer, many scenes contain hospital scenes

and the relationship between a middle aged couple. Starring George Clooney and Salma Hayek”

• I asked 18 people from my age group again, 13/18 said that this would be targeted at the over 30’s.

• This has raised the question if these films are made to be a film for the younger audi-

ence. Slide 8:

• John Green explains why he created TFIOS and his interpretation about what the film is about

• “I guess, and I felt that stories that I was reading sort of oversimplified and sometimes

even dehumanised them. And I think generally we have a habit of imagining the very sick or the dying as being kind of fundamentally other. I guess I wanted to argue for their hu-manity, their complete humanity” (Source 5)

• JG is trying to reach a different approach of cancer patients through the book and the film.

• Perhaps JG is aware that his audience is young, and is trying to teach them the lifestyle

and what the lifestyle should be like to young people without it being pushed too heavy onto them.

Slide 9:

• “I now believe that short life's can be good lives - full and rich - and that was the real les-

son Esther taught me” (Source 3)

• JG is trying portray cancer to the young that illness should not take them for granted and

that if they encounter any problems, they should fight through them.

• I now believe TFIOS is targeting the teens, but is trying to provide a good message to

them, not just another soppy romance.

Slide 10:

• I gave the following statement out to grab a response from the younger audience about from 30 people.

• “Do you think ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ contains a positive message for those who are suf-fering from a similar social situations?” (Source 15)

• The response I got was 27 yes which made me feel like JG has successfully been able

to portray a more optimistic outcome for cancer patients and situations for the younger audience.

Slide 11:

• I researched into the illness further before making any more interpretations about my

films.

• From 2012, it has been official that cancer is the top reason for premature death out of 4

other illnesses. 42% of people die from cancer before the age of 75. (Source 10)

Slide 12:

• Kubler Ross’ theory originates from researching people’s grief after World War 2. It could

argue cancer is a modern reason for people’s grief as the NHS states it is the top reason for premature death.

• The KR theory is an idea of the stages in which people grieve and overcome the loss of a loved one or ones diagnoses.

• This can be applied to all three of my films well due to death happening in each film / the film does show some or all of these stages.

• The five stages are ‘Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance’. (Source 1)

Slide 13:

• I went back to one of the people who said no and asked why they thought different to the

majority of people included in my investigation.

• “Hazel does not survive from the cancer which is not offering a positive outcome. It gives

the audience a feel that everyone is going to die which is not something you want to see

in a film when involved with the illness yourself” (Source 12)

• I feel like this is a valid argument and take this into consideration that these cancer films

are not exactly meant to be labeled as feel good films but just show realism to the audi-ence.

• If an audience member was going through the KR theory then perhaps watching films on

cancer is not the best outcome despite JG attempt of a positive idea of death.

Slide 14:

• KR theory could be applied to TFIOS through the character Gus successfully. These

stages however are shown in a different order to KR’s formula.

• Bargaining the trip to Amsterdam, Denial of death to support Hazel, Anger of his realisa-tion on how ill he really is, Depression when in wheelchair and miserable about his situa-

tion and lastly acceptance when he asks to hear his eulogies. Slide 15:

• It is hard to applicate the KR theory to Hazel as the audience is unsure how far for pro-

cess is with her cancer and how long she has to live.

• The idea of being unaware of Hazel’s death leaves a small positive outlook as usually in cancer films we expect all the characters to die at the end.

• Hazel’s two signs of KR theory are Denial and Bargaining.

Slide 16:

• This clip shows when the Doctor dismisses Hazel’s trip and she fights back and shows

passion to not let the cancer get her down.

• (Plays Clip)

• This is showing Hazel in denial of her illness, as she suffered from a near death experi-

ence she still refuses to take no as an answer, this shows an encouraging message. She is risking more dangers to achieve her dreams.

Slide 17:

• I interviewed a student that has read / watched the film, asking her if she thought that

this represents the idea of a dying cancer patient.

• “In the media we only see teenagers which are feeble and not going out and doing

things, obviously it depends on how bad the cancer is but i’ve never seen a representa-

tion like Hazel before” (Source 11)

• The student overall summed up that Hazel doesn’t give up on her dreams, which JG

wants to portray. This is showing that JG positive idea of cancer is being drummed into the minds of the younger audience.

Slide 18:

• This clip from My Sister’s Keeper counters my point about the target audience of these

films. Kate, the cancer patient, is off to her prom and her family are infused with happi-ness.

• (Plays Clip)

• I feel like this clip is targeted at an older audience, the idea of parents seeing their child

go to prom is an emotional time as they are seeing their child succeed and grow up. The

younger audience would have no similar personal experiences of this yet in their lives. Slide 19:

• Another counter argument is a review off The Guardian from a middle-aged man who reveals he will always cry at the death of children from cancer.

• ”There may be people who witness a halfway competent dramatic representation of the

death of children from cancer without choking up, I am not among them - and it was the same before I became a parent” (Source 2)

• This review reveals that the audiences of melodramas can also provide a response from

other audiences. This is most likely due to personal experience and more acknowledge-

ment of the illness. Slide 20:

• On the publisher’s website of TFIOS novel, there is a review from the author of MSK.

• “An electric portrait of young people who learn to live life with one foot in the grave. Filled

with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy, The Fault In Our Stars takes a spin on uni-

versal themes- Will I be loved? Will I be remembered? Will I leave a mark on this world? by dramatically raising the stakes for the characters who are asking.” - Jodi Picoult” (Source 17)

• Picoult’s idea of the film being humour mixed with tragedy follows the idea that not all tragedies have to be sad and that JG successfully placed a spin on a cancer film for the

younger audience.

• The idea of ‘Universal themes’ could argue that maybe Picoult is trying to say cancer

films all have similar conventions.

Slide 21:

• The director of TFIOS has a contrasting point to JG’s idea and Picoult’s.

• “This is 'Titanic.' Cancer is the iceberg we're gonna hit at the end of the movie, but that can’t be what the movie is about.” (Source 4)

• Boone has a conveying point and compares the cancer film to an iconic romance film,

which also backs that this film is reaching a younger audience but also is ignoring JG’s reasoning for this film.

• This quote reveals an idea that maybe the audience just enjoys having a response to the

grief and likes to feel empathy for the characters on screen. Slide 22:

• This clip from TLS shows a relationship between a father and daughter, however I feel this specifically grabs a reaction from the audience because of the thought of their fa-

ther’s death at their current age would be a fearful thought

• (Plays Clip)

• The clip indicates that people handle their cancer if different ways and we should should

support. Using Miley Cyrus as Ronnie, who previously was in a top hit Disney Channel show helps support the younger audience as she has respect from that specific audi-

ence already. Conclusion:

• From this research I have summarised that there is arguably a few reasons why people watch melodramas involving cancer, especially the younger audience.

• I have acknowledged that all my films for my research have been books; therefore the

adaptations mean that there is already a pre-sold audience to these specific dramas.

• I still believe my initial thought that cancer films are made to be a feel good film and I feel

like this idea is backed strongly when looking into JG’s personal background.

• I believe the idea when watching these films that the KR theory is including to help pro-

vide closure or reach closure quicker when the younger audience come to a point in their lives where they reach a personal experience with similar to these films.